USB to Coax Bridge

Abstract

A USB-to-coaxial network bridging system and method includes receiving data frames from a USB or FireWire device via a corresponding USB or FireWire communication interface, wherein the received data frames are intended for transmittal to a predetermined remote device on a coaxial network; combining the received data frames into an aggregated frame and addressing the aggregated frame to allow the aggregated frame to be routed to the predetermined remote device on the coaxial network; and sending the aggregated frame to the remote device over the coaxial network.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, via a first network bridge, an exploratory packet from a first universal serial bus (USB) device, wherein the first network bridge is operably coupled to a first bus and a coaxial network, and wherein the first USB device is operably coupled to the first bus, and wherein the first bus is compatible with a USB protocol; 
 forwarding, via the first network bridge, a reply to the exploratory packet from a second USB device to the first USB device, wherein the second USB device is operably coupled to a second bus, and wherein the second bus is compatible with the USB protocol; 
 receiving, via the first network bridge, a plurality of data frames over the first bus from the first USB device; 
 combining, via the first network bridge, the received plurality of data frames into an aggregated frame; 
 making, via the first network bridge, a reservation request to send the aggregated frame across the coaxial network; 
 receiving, via the first network bridge, a bandwidth allocation from a network controller; 
 addressing, via the first network bridge, the aggregated frame to allow the aggregated frame to be routed to the second USB device over the coaxial network; and 
 sending, via the first network bridge, the aggregated frame to the second USB device over the coaxial network. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein sending the aggregated frame to the second USB device comprises sending the aggregated frame to a second network bridge, wherein the second network bridge is operably coupled to the coaxial network and the second bus, and wherein the second network bridge is operable to route individual frames contained in the aggregated frame to the second USB device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the second network bridge is operable to remove a coaxial network header from the aggregated frame, de-aggregate individual frames contained in the aggregated frame, read address information associated with the de-aggregated individual frames, and transmit the de-aggregated individual frames to the second USB device based on the address information. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising identifying, via the first network bridge, an identification of the second USB device based on header information in the received frames, wherein addressing comprises addressing the aggregated frame to the second USB device using an addressing protocol of the coaxial network. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein addressing comprises adding a coaxial network frame header to the aggregated frame, the coaxial network frame header including an IP or MAC address of the second USB device. 
     
     
       6. A method, the method comprising:
 a first network bridge receiving a ping with an exploratory packet from a local universal serial bus (USB) device, wherein the first network bridge is operably coupled to a first bus and a coaxial network, and wherein the local USB device is operably coupled to the first bus, and wherein the first bus is compatible with a USB protocol; 
 the first network bridge broadcasting the exploratory packet across the coaxial network to probe for network USB devices; 
 the first network bridge receiving a reply from a remote USB device that is appropriate for a given transmission, wherein the remote USB device is operably coupled to a second bus, and wherein the second bus is compatible with the USB protocol; 
 the first network bridge receiving data frames from the local USB device via the first bus, wherein the received data frames are intended for transmittal to the remote USB device over the coaxial network; 
 the first network bridge combining the received data frames into an aggregated frame, making a reservation request to send the aggregated frame across the coaxial network, receiving a bandwidth allocation from a network controller, and addressing the aggregated frame to allow the aggregated frame to be routed to the remote USB device over the coaxial network; and 
 the first network bridge sending the aggregated frame to the remote USB device over the coaxial network. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the method comprises the first network bridge identifying, based on header information in the received frames, the remote USB device and, wherein the addressing comprises, based on this identification, addressing the aggregated frame to the remote USB device using an addressing protocol of the coaxial network. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein addressing comprises adding a coaxial network frame header to the aggregated frame, the coaxial network frame header including an IP or MAC address of the remote USB device. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the method comprises a second network bridge receiving the aggregated frame from the first network bridge and routing individual frames contained in the aggregated frames to the remote USB device, wherein the second network bridge is operably coupled to the coaxial network and the second bus. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein routing individual frames contained in the aggregated frames to the remote USB device comprises removing a coaxial network header from the aggregated frame, de-aggregating individual frames contained in the aggregated frame, reading address information associated with the de-aggregated individual frames, and transmitting the de-aggregated individual frames to the remote USB device associated with the address information. 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a first network bridge operably coupled to a first bus and a coaxial network, wherein the first bus is compatible with a universal serial bus (USB) protocol, and wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 receive an exploratory packet from a first USB device operably coupled to the first bus, 
 forward a reply to the exploratory packet from a second USB device to the first USB device, wherein the second USB device is operably coupled to a second bus compatible with the USB protocol, 
 receive a first plurality of data frames over the first bus from the first USB device, 
 combine the first plurality of data frames into a first aggregated frame, 
 make a reservation request to send the first aggregated frame across the coaxial network, 
 receive a bandwidth allocation from a network controller, 
 address the first aggregated frame to allow the first aggregated frame to be routed to the second USB device over the coaxial network, and 
 send the first aggregated frame to the second USB device over the coaxial network. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 receive a second aggregated frame from the second USB device via a second network bridge, wherein the second network bridge is operably coupled to the coaxial network and the second bus. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 remove a coaxial network header from the second aggregated frame, 
 de-aggregate individual frames contained in the second aggregated frame, 
 read address information associated with the de-aggregated individual frames, and 
 transmit the de-aggregated individual frames to the first USB device based on the address information. 
 
     
     
       14. The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 identify the first USB device based on header information in the de-aggregated individual frames. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein addressing comprises adding a coaxial network frame header to the second aggregated frame, the coaxial network frame header including an IP or MAC address of the first USB device. 
     
     
       16. A system, the system comprising:
 a first network bridge operably coupled to a first bus and a coaxial network, wherein the first bus is compatible with a universal serial bus (USB) protocol, and wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 receive a ping with an exploratory packet from a local USB device operably coupled to the first bus, 
 broadcast the exploratory packet across the coaxial network to probe for network USB devices, 
 receive a reply from a remote USB device that is appropriate for a given transmission, wherein the remote USB device is operably coupled to a second bus compatible with the USB protocol, 
 receive data frames from the local USB device via the first bus, wherein the received data frames are intended for transmittal to the remote USB device over the coaxial network, 
 combine the received data frames into a first aggregated frame, 
 make a reservation request to send the first aggregated frame across the coaxial network, 
 receive a bandwidth allocation from a network controller, 
 address the first aggregated frame to allow the first aggregated frame to be routed to the remote USB device over the coaxial network; and 
 send the first aggregated frame to the remote USB device over the coaxial network. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 identify the remote USB device based on header information in the received frames, and address the first aggregated frame to the remote USB device using an addressing protocol of the coaxial network. 
 
     
     
       18. The system according to  claim 16 , wherein addressing comprises adding a coaxial network frame header to the first aggregated frame, the coaxial network frame header including an IP or MAC address of the remote USB device. 
     
     
       19. The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 receive a second aggregated frame from a second network bridge operably coupled to the coaxial network, and 
 route individual frames contained in the second aggregated frame to the local USB device. 
 
     
     
       20. The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the first network bridge is operable to:
 remove a coaxial network header from the second aggregated frame, 
 de-aggregate individual frames contained in the second aggregated frame, 
 read address information associated with the de-aggregated individual frames, and 
 transmit the de-aggregated individual frames to the local USB device associated with the address information.